No, an accused Russian spy wasn’t in an Oval Office photo with Trump

Several news outlets are reporting that the woman in the photo is not Mariia Butina.

Thousands of Twitter users are pointing to a photo they believe shows Mariia Butina, a Russian national who was charged on Monday for conspiring against the United States as a spy, standing in the White House during a controversial meeting President Donald Trump had with officials from Russia just days after firing former FBI Director James Comey.

However, despite the online chatter, the woman in the photo is not Butina, but rather a National Security Council staffer, officials tell the Daily Dot.

Who is Mariia Butina?

Butina was charged on Monday for allegedly working as an agent of Russia and “infiltrating organizations having influence in American politics,” and trying to “exploit personal connections with U.S. persons having influence in American politics in an effort to advance the interests of the Russian Federation,” according to the Justice Department.

The photo in question was taken in the Oval Office when Trump, during a meeting last summer, reportedly shared classified information with Russian officials including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. This was the same meeting where the president reportedly called Comey, who he had just fired a “nut job.”

Journalists online exploded with speculation, but once several news outlets pointed out the woman was not Butina, they began deleting their tweets.

Maria Butina is now charged w “conspiracy to act as an agent of the Russian Federation within the US.”

Butina in that 05/10/2017 controversial meeting in the Oval Office, the day after Comey was fired and no American press was allowed in the room but a Russian photographer was pic.twitter.com/4n0fGdkYt1

Butina’s lawyer told the New York Times that she is “not an agent of the Russian Federation” and added that there is “simply no indication of Butina seeking to influence or undermine any specific policy or law.”

Andrew Wyrich is a politics staff writer for the Daily Dot, covering the intersection of politics and the internet. Andrew has written for USA Today, NorthJersey.com, and other newspapers and websites. His work has been recognized by the Society of the Silurians, Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE), and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).